Hurricane Melissa barrels towards Caribbean including Haiti

In Haiti, the storm destroyed crops in three regions, including 15 hectares (37 acres) of maize at a time when at least 5.7 million people, more than half of the country’s population, is experiencing crisis levels of hunger, with 1.9 million of those facing emergency levels of hunger.

The poorest country in the Americas, Haiti has long suffered at the hands of violent criminal gangs against a backdrop of chronic political instability.

The situation has worsened significantly since early 2024, when gangs drove then-prime minister, Ariel Henry, to resign. The country, which has not held elections since 2016, has since been led by a transitional presidential council.The storm already has dropped heavy rain in the Dominican Republic, where schools and government offices were ordered to remain closed on Monday in four of nine provinces still under red alert.

Melissa damaged more than 750 homes across the country, displacing more than 3,760 people, according to the Associated Press. Flood waters also have cut access to at least 48 communities, officials said.